China confirmed on Thursday that its ongoing military exercise in southeast coastal areas has affected civil flights, but said the defense ministry has kept close contacts with civil aviation authorities to minimize the impact.

The United States' campaign to encourage China to be more open about its military growth and intentions got a symbolic boost Monday with a tour for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel of the country's first aircraft carrier.

China's military is more open and transparent than that of Japan, Qian Lihua, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, who used to head the Foreign Affairs Office under the Ministry of National Defense, said during the annual two sessions on March 6.

Responding to concerns that China is not telling the whole truth when it comes to defense spending, a figure that this year will rise by 12.2 percent to 808.2 billion yuan ($130 billion), Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng said Beijing was committed to transparency and explaining itself to the outside world.

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